Poetry Unbound Conor Kerr — Winter Songs
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Jan 8, 2024 Conor Kerr, a Métis/Ukrainian writer, discusses his poem 'Winter Songs' which envisions a rewilded city where coyotes regenerate and reclaim what was taken. The podcast explores themes of memory, division, dismantling structures, and restoring presence. It also touches on the impact of Europeanization on history and the importance of recognizing native land and treaty recognition.
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Rewilding and Reclamation
- "Winter Songs" portrays coyotes in a rewilded city, digging up Indigenous ancestors' bones.
- These ancestors regenerate, reclaiming their land, dismantling imposed structures, and restoring original power.
Coyotes as Time Travelers
- Kerr's poem is cinematic, depicting time, space, and the restoration of a city gone back to the land.
- Coyotes act as time travelers, carrying memory and connecting past and present, challenging the concept of ancient history.
Home, Place, and Identity
- Kerr explores isolation and dislocation related to home and place, not just as buildings but as locations within the land.
- Being Métis and Ukrainian, he examines these concepts within the context of Treaty 4 and 6 territories.